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Monday, March 25, 2013

LET THE SALE BEGIN

I spent six weeks sorting through drawers, cupboards, closets, rooms, every nook and cranny in this house to prepare for my auction sale. Last week Friday, the guys came to pick up all the boxes, totes and miscellaneous items.

The pickup truck was loaded, with totes stacked 3-high and boxes and other items filling all the areas possible. The flatbed trailer he brought was also filled by the time he headed for his business location. I was so surprised how much I really was able to get rid of, without touching the garage, attic or back yard shed yet. That will be my summer project, so I can have a fall sale too.

My kitchen was filled with boxes and my living room was filled also. It sure was nice to get it all out of the house and have the room back to move around easily. Unfortunately, I wanted to help so I carried small items out to them after I slid some totes out onto the front porch. By the evening, I was flat on my back on the couch. On Saturday, I still had a tremendous backache, but the headache had eased up somewhat. Doing any lifting like that puts me down for two days with my bad back. My mind thinks I can still do things like ten years ago.

I know I have well over 700 items in the sale and I find that downsizing is a liberating experience. Starting in June, I will explore the many boxes in my attic and see what treasures I can find that have been put away for the last four to seven years. I found a few surprises in the past few weeks, which I will write about in another blog.

With the sale of my gold and diamonds in Columbus, and my silver in Cincinnati, and my household goods at an auction here, I will be able to pay off the two main bills for this year (taxes and insurance). After my recent loss, I have no one to leave little things to, so I might as well enjoy using the money to live on. Specific items of family significance are being saved for certain family members, but I have lightened my load considerably. As I look around my house, I still have enough for another sale next year, if necessary. We seem to collect so much over the years, as well as inherit it from those before us.

I have set my next goal, but until this snow is gone and the warmer weather is upon us for the spring and summer, I will wait until I can explore more boxes and thin my load once more.